DAR 3

The DAR 3, conceived in the early 1930s, was the flagship aircraft of the small Austrian firm Hermann Winter Ltd. Named after the Germanic word for “eagle,” the DAR 3 represented Winter’s ambition to join the burgeoning field of high‑performance, all‑metal monoplanes. Development began in 1932 under the direction of chief designer Franz Koller, who incorporated lessons learned from the earlier DAR 2 trainer. The prototype made its maiden flight on 14 May 1934 from the Vienna–St. Marienkirchen airfield and immediately demonstrated a sleek, low‑drag fuselage, retractable undercarriage, and a high‑power 650 hp Hispano‑Suiza 12Ycrs V‑12 engine.

Key features included a fully cantilevered wing with split flaps, an enclosed cockpit with dual controls, and an innovative hydraulic system that allowed rapid wing‑tip fuel tank drainage for improved handling. The aircraft could reach 380 km/h at 4,500 m and carried a modest payload of two forward‑firing machine guns plus an optional light bomb rack.

Although only fifteen units were produced before the outbreak of World War II halted civilian orders, the DAR 3’s advanced construction techniques influenced post‑war Austrian designs and cemented Hermann Winter’s reputation as a pioneer of modern aeronautical engineering.

Hermann Winter

Classification

Production & History

Design & Classification